I really feel kind of out of touch, especially if someone wants to tell a joke about a commercial or something.
But they usually give me this embarassed look when I mention that I dont have a TV.
Am I wrong to assume that most people realize that television has been nothing but a bane to civilization and original thought, yet do nothing about it?
I’m actually paying (partially) for cable. And my roommates have it in their rooms… but I never watch… I don’t even miss it (except ESPN… I REALLY miss ESPN)
I have several Pimsleur language courses (Japanese really isn’t that hard…), a lot of music, dumbbells and parallettes in my room.
Unlike most college students I can actually find time to read recreationally, not just shit for class.
I might even start playing guitar again or take up piano.
I’m actually watching my vast (and i mean vast) collection of MMA instructionals. I didn’t even know that I had Dan Gable’s wrestling instructionals (hah)…
I encourage you to take a month or two without television. You’ll probably find that you get more done during the day, communicate more with your family (i actually call home which is completely unheard of), hell you’ll probably get more sleep (I know I do).
I don’t have a TV. My roommate does, but he’s always watching some MTV crap.
I just borrow it for new episodes of Nip/Tuck and Family Guy.
Funny you mention reading stuff other than classwork. I’m always reading or writing and so far this semester 100% of it has had nothing to do with my college courses (my education on the other hand . . .)
my missus spilled a vase full of water in ours on sunday, so now we are also TV-less. Like you, I really couldn’t give a shit, but she’s seems to be taking it pretty hard. Every morning before work and every night when she gets in she spends a good twenty mins trying to revive it. I asked her last night if I was to keel over with a heart attack would she’d spend as much time trying to bring me round. She said she’d do cpr for a bit, but if I was still out when the soaps came on the tele she’d have to let me go. I’ve also caught her watching the ‘snow flakes’ scrambled screen. The only time this is acceptable is if you have just taken some hallucinogenics, and I’m pretty sure she hadn’t.
Sounds like you might be preaching to choir here. While there is a TV in my house i RARELY watch it. I mean, 2 jobs…the gym…the girl…school… Who the heck has time to watch TV? Maybe at midnight while im eating my meal, but tahts about it.
Well, Ill say this back when I first joined the military we didnt have much money so we didnt have cable. Hell, me and my wife didnt even have a tv. I was like you I really missed ESPN. But we finally got around to getting one and now I work nights so I never really get watch any of it. But, my wife watches this Desperat House Wifes crap. That I cant stand. And Laguna Beach. ( I think thats how you spell it.) Just crazy shit like that.
The only thing I do is watch some of my movies that I bought when I was in Iraq.
I’ve posted about this before. I usually watch late at night while eating. I live in Spain and I have a French channel. For a while, I had a German and Italian channel.
I realised one day that the amount of attention I paid to the machine was the same regardless of whether I understood it or not. I could just as easily have German news on (I speak not a word) or Italian game shows (again, I can only say “pasta” and “lasagne”) and it didn’t matter.
Which just goes to prove how little you actually “watch” TV and how much more time you spend “looking at” the TV.
My TV is only good for DVDs. I haven’t had cable since before the Millenium rolled around. When somebody says “Hey! Did you see that new commercial…” I get to remind them that I haven’t really seen any commercials for years.
I have never seen an episode of:
The Bachelor
Survivor
Newlyweds
American Idol
The Apprentice
etc., etc…
It’s a good thing that Family Guy is on DVD. Can’t wait to start downloading new South Parks off the internet when they crank it back up next month.
I have probably saved myself a few IQ points (and beer money) by not having cable.
[quote]lothario1132 wrote:
My TV is only good for DVDs. I haven’t had cable since before the Millenium rolled around. When somebody says “Hey! Did you see that new commercial…” I get to remind them that I haven’t really seen any commercials for years.
I have never seen an episode of:
The Bachelor
Survivor
Newlyweds
American Idol
The Apprentice
etc., etc…
Agreed. The older i get the more i realise there’s stuff i could be doing instead of watching the tv. Getting things done and making goals come closer. I think people are addicted to TV.
The only channels i watch is Discovery, History, TLC etc…
On the one hand it showcase some of the world’s amazing talent by creating some phenomenally good drama/films/documentaries.
But…that make up less than 1% of what is on the TV schedule. More channels have just brought more shit to our screens and this “i’ll do anything to get on TV” attitude is destroying society.
I don’t know about you but when i’ve been on holiday for more than a month or so, you come back home and realise that you haven’t missed TV at all.
Mart
ps i’ve just finished watching 24 series 3 on DVD last night, watched the last 8 episodes straight, and i’ve got to say that it’s diamonds like this that stop me from completely disowning TV! Series 4 to watch next week. Can’t wait.
I, too, missed ESPN and I got cable because of it. In fact, when I called to get cable and was asked what programming package I want, I replied, “The cheapest package that comes with ESPN.”
However, with work and school, I rarely even watch it. But I won’t cancel it until after football season.
Commercials are one of the things I do miss when I don’t watch TV. I love a funny, clever commercial. Or even some that are just dumb, funny. Even those that are unintentionally funny. Commercials rock.
As far as the rest of TV; I haven’t seen anything in a couple years now. And I don’t miss it. In fact, there are time when I’m home and not doing anything that I try to force myself to sit and watch something; so I can feel like I’m getting my money’s worth.
I’ll occasionally find some stuff that I can sit and watch. The History Channel has some cool stuff. And I don’t know what channel it’s on or when, but I like Mythbusters. Otherwise I’m always on Fox Sports, one of the ESPNs, or the Cartoon Network.
Agreed, I have Cable for the sole purpose of getting Cable internet. No phone line just a cell phone.
I do find the TV handy for background noise while doing various activities, my art, painting etc,. I always put it on something I can listen to that is worth while, History Channel, Discover, etc… I cant remember the last time I sat down and watched a program, let alone a full movie.
Now that football has started again the TV gets a wee bit more use, listen/watch, but still tend to get involved in some type of activity while doing so.
I just see the TV as one of the many down falls of my past FATNESS and really there are many more constructive things to do.
I think if i lived in the states i’d have no TV, how do you guys cope with the adverts every ten minutes! It’s bad enough in the UK when we get them every half hour. I try and make sure i just pick out one or two things to watch on TV and then make myself switch it off, otherwise i tend to end up channel surfing till the wee early hours of the morning, watching drivel.
[quote]lothario1132 wrote:
My TV is only good for DVDs. I haven’t had cable since before the Millenium rolled around. When somebody says “Hey! Did you see that new commercial…” I get to remind them that I haven’t really seen any commercials for years.
I have never seen an episode of:
The Bachelor
Survivor
Newlyweds
American Idol
The Apprentice
etc., etc…
It’s a good thing that Family Guy is on DVD. Can’t wait to start downloading new South Parks off the internet when they crank it back up next month.
I have probably saved myself a few IQ points (and beer money) by not having cable.[/quote]
We’re in the same boat. DVD’s and some video game play on the weekend is usually what mine gets used for. I have bought some shows on DVD simply because I like Smallville and NipTuck alot. one recommendation…Lost is probably the best series I have seen on tv in a while judging from the first season. I will probably be a year late on catching anymore episodes until they release the 2nd season on DVD next year.
I’ve lived without a TV for the past 6 years (except 1 year I was in the States, where I had a 15" TV).
I sometimes miss watching the news, but I can get that through the internet. I do, however, miss watching wildlife documentaries; I grew up watching the BBC (back when it was good) and the wildlife programs are what I remember most.
All in all, I don’t find it’s worth having one. The news is on the itnernet, and I watch DVDs on my computer; I have books, and very little free time on my hands. For now, I can do without a TV.
But people do look at you a bit funny when you say you don’t own a TV. Wha’evah!
[quote]mindeffer01 wrote:
T.V. is like taking a bat to the head without all of the bruising and bone fragments. But hell, I need something to watch porn on.
[/quote]
Man this is the new millenium, when I don’t watch TV I usually end up doing something equally mindless (read- internet porn).
